Geriatric Nurse Salary

If you are thinking about starting a career as a geriatric nurse, you may be impressed by the amount of money you can work in this specialty. Geriatric nursing requires a specific set of skills, since the elderly have different needs than children or young adults. This is not the ideal field for everyone, but some nurses enjoy the idea of working with senior citizens on a regular basis. It you want to determine if you are one of those people, you probably need to learn about the pay waiting for you. Here are some geriatric nurse salary statistics to keep in mind.

Geriatric Nurse Salary by Years of Experience

With each passing year, you will have the opportunity to make more money in your profession. Most people earn $60,000+ annually after they have committed to working in this field for a long time. If you know this is the career for you, you should have no trouble supporting your family over the course of it. Typical salaries by years of experience include:

Less than 1 year of experience: $42,392 per year

1-4 years of experience: $50,606 per year

5-9 years of experience: $56,713 per year

10-19 years of experience: $61,337 per year

20 years of experience or more: $61,979 per year

Geriatric Nurse Salary by Industry

Some work places have better paying jobs than others because of their demand for nurses as a whole. Before you settle for the first job that comes available, explore your options. You might be surprised by the changes you’ll see in your pay. Typical salaries by industry include:

Healthcare: $60,860 per year

Nursing Home: $51,839 per year

Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation: $59,795 per year

Health Care Services: $62,624 per year

Home Health Care: $54,450 per year

Hospital: $52,856 per year

Residential Care or Assisted Living Facility: $48,700 per year

Geriatric Nurse Salary by Certification

In order to get a job, you will need some kind of nursing certification. The question is: Which one should you get? This may be partially based on what you plan to do, but it should also reflect the pay you want to make. Typical salaries by certification include:

Advanced Cardiac Life Support: $61,643 per year

American Nurses Credentialing Center: $82,047 per year

Basic Life Support: $55,898 per year

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: $58,060 per year

Certified Nursing Assistant: $24,788 per year

Critical Care: $58,155 per year

Family Practice: $80,560 per year

Licensed Practical Nurse: $40,137 per year

Licensed Vocational Nurse: $43,606 per year

Registered Nurse: $64,040 per year

Geriatric Nurse Salary by State

Geriatric nursing salaries change throughout the country because of economic conditions, employment demands, and population demographics in different states. Some states have higher paying jobs than others because they have large geriatric care facilities. Check out all of your options before you decide to live and work in one specific state. Typical salaries by state include:

California: $62,079 per year

Florida: $58,591 per year

Illinois: $59,114 per year

New York: $58,372 per year

North Carolina: $54,740 per year

Pennsylvania: $54,941 per year

Texas: $52,486 per year

Note that the information above is courtesy of PayScale.com as of June 15, 2012. It may not reflect the information at the time you read this article.